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Topic Review (Newest First)

03-26-2001 09:31 PM

RayStachelek

RE:A question for Captain Ray

Eddie -

I was told that Waterworks come under the umbrella company of Lamson Reels. Can't verify this but my source is usually reliable.

Good Luck on your fishing trip Eddie...... make sure you give us a full report of not only your fishing trip, but the reel performance. Take it up a notch!

03-26-2001 08:46 PM

Eddie

RE:A question for Captain Ray

I will be leaving for Argentina on thursday and I hope to put the 3400D to the test(sea run brown trout willing). I'll let you all know how the reel holds up in a few weeks.
I am sure that the reel is made by Water Works, but there is NOTHING in common between the two brands. The sealed drag has a series of carbon fiber discs with washers(not sure what) sandwiched. It was designed with consultation from Jack Charlton, but being the independant kind of guy that he is, he sais that they are nothing like his reels. I think that the stacked washers remind me of a Penn International.

03-21-2001 08:37 PM

juro

RE:A question for Captain Ray

The fast spool switch is really a factor for striper fishing, steelhead and salmon, etc. It surprises me that the upper echalon reels make it so hard to swap spools. I suppose not everyone has the same need to swap spools - the carribean, dry line seasons on salmon streams, fall greaselining for steelhead, etc.

I can't get by without at least two for Northeast stripers, and for the Spey rod I feel that a spool loaded with hybrid sinktip setup and a full floating Spey head line or DTF line are both the minimum to cover the water thoroughly.

Congrats Mitch!

03-21-2001 07:39 PM

mitch

RE:A question for Captain Ray

Hey all,
I called Sage today and talked to Jerry Siem. He said that the reel was made in Boise, ID. By applying the scientific method I narrowed down the manufacturer (My college degree at work here).
So now I eat crow and tell you that I bought the 3400D (even though it says Sage on the reel).
Thanks to Ray and Juro for the insight.
Flytalk works...maybe too well.
Mitch

03-21-2001 05:12 PM

juro

RE:A question for Captain Ray

Ray -

Thanks for the review. I really liked the 3400 when I groped it at the show, Nick (Hunter's) said the 3500 wasn't out yet so you must have got one fresh off the milling machine.

Sounds good, I look forward to seeing it.

03-21-2001 04:33 PM

RayStachelek

RE:A question for Captain Ray

Received the Sage 3500D reel today. Some very nice features that other reels don't have.

Ventilated end cap reduces weight. Extremely light weight. Sealed system of both ball bearings and drag to keep the dirt away from function parts.

Other great features:

Preset drag stops. They are numbered to return easily to drag settings. Large ergonomically knob easy to grab with gloves or cold hands.

Changing spools is awesome. Most reel that don't need tools just snap together. You wonder during a run if the spool will disengage. With these reels, they have a lock nut that you tighten by hand without tools and it stays on the reel. Impossible to ever lose a part. That great news especially when changing spools while wading or on the beach.

The spools are nice and clean too. Since you have a sealed system there is no external grease. Can handle these spools with white glove or put them in your surf back without covering them first.

Next time you see one-check it out.

03-20-2001 08:55 AM

mitch

RE:A question for Captain Ray

Ray,

I expect an investigation only after I buy a limited production Boston Whaler specifically for fly fishing
After getting a salt rod in the beginning, I got tired of thinking about better equipment. I made the decision that this was going to be a life long passion, so I convinced myself to go with the best and stop upgrading.
I was thinking of the Abel, but the silent out-haul and click in-haul bugs me. Other than that, it think it is a fine reel.
I was initially going to get the Everglades, but I started looking at these sealed drag jobbers that would cut down considerably the amount of clean-up time afterwards. Like dealing with my hair, I would like to just wash and rinse without all of the fluff that my wife does. That's why the Loop was on my short list. I knew about the Sage, but didn't really consider it until I read that you purchased the reel. I looked at the ULA 3.5 at Quaker Lane and didn't like how the spool is removed. You have to pull it out, then slide it by the frame's spool guide bar. Knowing me, I'll put just a little too much force when initially removing the spool and catch the spool on the guide bar and bend the spool.
I already have the M4 and if it wern't for customer service that fell short of my expectations, I wouldn't hesitate to keep it as my primary reel. I guess another alternative is to keep the M4 as the primary and have the SCI ANGLER 7/8 as my back-up. Who knows, I have this big problem of money from selling other rods just burning a hole in my pocket. Maybe I should be smart and save it to help buy stuff like gas, milk, and ground beef over in Hawaii.
BTW, my orders have been changed. I leave for the Virginian Peninsula at the end of April until the middle of June, which I get to come back for a week to pack up our stuff, then head off to the ship in the latter part of June. It all shifted, but still keeps me out of New England waters for the season.
Thanks for the reply and the info Ray.
Mitch

03-19-2001 05:26 PM

RayStachelek

RE:A question for Captain Ray

Mitch -

Loomis rods and Tibor reels!.....You have a small arsenal of sophisticated weapons at your disposal. Sounds like doomsday for any striper that crosses your wake. How do you like the GLX series rods and Riptide reel so far?
Isn't there any governmental watchdogs that monitor military pay raises? Sounds like your making way too much money to afford all that high end gear.

The 3400D and the 3500D were introduced this year in the 2001 Sage catalog. This is there first venture into larger steelhead/salmon, saltwater reels. Just happen to see them and liked what I saw. An order was placed for one reel. Seen them for the first time at Wilmington and thought they were pretty nifty. I'm a fishing junkie and have many reels.

Cast a Fly Charters offer clients a chance to use many of the top products in the industry before they buy. What better way is there to make a knowledgeable choice. We all have tons of gear at home in retirement.

Usually I go through a set process whenever a need a new item. If you ask a Rep, you will find that they are all bias. Sometimes, they will loan us an item to field test. Other times we simply go to a place like Quaker Lane in North Kingston and demo their stuff. There is a salesperson named Ed B., who's a retired machinist. I swear, he takes every new reel apart piece by piece. Analyses the whole assembly. Even makes his own changes if he buys it.
I was shocked one day when Eddie took apart his brand new Renzetti Master Vise and made changes to it. Called the manufacture about the tolerances and machining. You know he was right. That's the kind of people Mitch, you want to help you choose your gear. Asking on the web like you have helps. If it's a new item though, you might not get user advise.

Buying the Sage Reel was a lark and a deviation from my standard practice. Will let you know by the end of the summer how it worked out.

See that you're interest in the new Loops but don't like the guarantee. What about Abel's or another Tibor (Everglade?)

03-18-2001 02:03 PM

juro

RE:A question for Captain Ray

Mitch -

I will defer to Ray but the buzz on the street is that Waterworks makes the new Sage reels. I would put my money on that hunch myself. The sealed drag system, although quite different than the Lightspeed / ULA Force drag in design, has the same zero-intertia feel to it.

Hunter's annual new product review states "derived from the Waterworks reels".

Offline discussions with other big retailers would imply same.

FWIW

Juro

03-18-2001 01:10 PM

mitch

A question for Captain Ray

I read that you bought one of the new Sage reels. Why?
I was going to e-mail you privately, but got to thinking that you are a very educated man in fly gear (even though you haven't been an actual guide for 40 years...that one still cracks me up). At any rate, a gear review from you is news everybody could use.
Ray, I'm looking to purchase a new reel for my #8 GLX that you also recommended. I'll be using this rod all over the South Pacific and Texas Gulf when I'm not using my #10 GLX/Riptide combo. I want one that will still be working flawlesly when I come back to Newport in 2005.
One of the other questions is who makes the new Sage reel?
Thanks,
Mitch Albin